Delegates at a meeting in Doha, Qatar, of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) neared the March 25 close of the 13-day meeting. They rejected proposals to regulate trade in three shark species, but accepted regulation of a fourth shark species. They held off sales of stockpiled elephant ivory for another three years. They rejected  ban on trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna and polar bears.

"In a story Feb. 17 about contaminated water at the Camp Lejeune Marine base, The Associated Press made several errors. First, the AP reported erroneously that an environmental contractor omitted the cancer-causing chemical benzene from a final report on pollutants in a base well, part of a long-running review of contamination in the base's water supply. The contractor's 1994 report does list benzene as one of the contaminants in the well, although it does not say how much benzene was found."

"One of the world's largest oilfield services companies continued to tell U.S. EPA it was complying with an agreement barring the injection of diesel fuel near drinking-water aquifers, documents show, after admitting to Congress that it had violated the pact."

"Close to 40 percent of Puget Sound's shorelines have been covered in concrete or otherwise walled off from the tides. State officials say restoring the health of Puget Sound will require removing some of those walls. But it's local governments that control the shore, and property owners want to build more seawalls as coastal developments expand."

"A coalition of hunting and fishing organizations that released a report Monday outlining the consequences of climate change for fish and wildlife in the United States. ... The report, 'Beyond Seasons' End,' suggests a number of strategies to help wildlife adapt."

"The D.C. area took the No. 2 spot in a nationwide survey of metropolitan regions with energy-efficient buildings, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which plans to publish the results Tuesday."

With the Chesapeake's once-abundant oysters reduced 99 percent, Maryland Natural Resources Police go undercover to catch poachers.
 

"The Supreme Court on Monday rejected another request by the state of Michigan for an order to close two Chicago-area waterway locks to keep Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes."

"California lawmakers approved a groundbreaking smoking ban Monday that, if signed into law, will prohibit smoking at nearly all state beaches and parks."